admin
The festive season has started with more traffic expected on the roads and people partying as they celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Day and welcome the New Year.
During this period, people would be filled with excitement. However, it is unfortunate that some end up maimed; losing their lives, in prison or in situations that will haunt them for ever.
We expect many of our relatives who are resident abroad to trek back home to be with us during the holiday. Most of them are coming from South Africa, the injiva, who bring all the colour and verve particularly to Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South provinces as well as Masvingo and Midlands.
Others, who tend to be less gregarious, are coming back from Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho, and Swaziland and as far afield as Britain, the US among other countries.
Indeed, this is the only time of the year when families physically reconnect, in a convivial mood. Most weddings are staged between now and beginning of next year and parties will be the order of the day. For Christendom this is the time to celebrate the birth of Christ. Therefore, the celebrations will go along with prayer and praise to Him.
The business sector records its best sales over this time of the year as people spend on groceries, gifts, clothing and drinks.
But for some, we recognise that the difficult economic environment has once again, deprived them of the festive season cheer. Thousands of people have lost jobs, and incomes, over the past 12 months, most of them between July and October when an estimated 25,000 were dismissed from work on three months’ notice. For many of these, Christmas is likely to be unhappy.
In addition to job losses, there are some who, while they have them, have not been paid for years as their employers struggle under the economic challenges. In the same vein, there are others whose salaries are so low; they cannot spend anything on Christmas goodies. Not every employer is going to pay their employees the 13th cheque this month. For these too, Christmas is likely to be unhappy. We commiserate with them.
For the more fortunate ones who have money to spend, we implore them to celebrate Christmas and welcome the New Year in the most responsible manner.
Drivers should make sure they obey road rules and regulations. Up to 95 percent of the accidents that happen on our roads are caused by human error. Drunkenness and poor driver judgment are to blame.
This reminds us that drivers must not drink and drive. Also, they must not speed.
It is important that the human factor is addressed to ensure greater road safety, but the condition of our vehicles also needs to be attended to. This is very critical as much of the vehicle fleet on our roads are used Japanese and British imported cars that have seen better days. For this reason, their condition tends to be poor; hence they need more frequent and thorough service than new and younger vehicles. Motorists should therefore spend money to make their vehicles roadworthy to reduce chances of accidents occurring because of avoidable mechanical shortcomings.
In a few cases road accidents are not caused by drivers, but by their overzealous passengers. This often applies to those who use public transport. Some passengers actually incite drivers to speed or break road regulations just for the thrill of it. Such bad advice has caused many accidents, loss of life and injuries so must be avoided.
Yes, some of the worst negative behaviours are evident on our highways, but certain destructive conduct in our homes and other public places has rendered this time of the year not so merry. People abuse alcohol and drugs which get them drunk. Drunkenness impairs judgment and can result in people engaging in public violence. It is on record that many stabbings and killings in the city and elsewhere in the region happen because of the drunkenness that is common over the Christmas and New Year holidays.
We urge our people to always behave well.
Amid the excitement, many of us overspend. We know the social anguish that arises thereafter. Overspending over the festive season results in the so-called January Disease when someone is so out of pocket at the beginning of the year they cannot pay school fees for their children yet on December 25 they blew thousands on food and booze. We don’t want this to happen, so let us enjoy ourselves but without forgetting that tomorrow will always come.
Given the increased excitement, we look forward to stronger police presence on the roads, in towns and other places where the public visit for law, order and security to prevail.
derick.khumalo